


An Instance of Interference

by ConvenientAlias



Category: Psychopath Diary (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode 7, M/M, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22089700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/pseuds/ConvenientAlias
Summary: With no one hiding in the back of Yook Dong Sik's car, Seo In Woo gets to the scene of Nam Sung Chul's attempt to murder Yook Dong Sik before anyone else does.
Relationships: Yook Dong Sik/Seo In Woo
Comments: 10
Kudos: 153





	An Instance of Interference

_“Nam Sung Chul is trying to murder Yook Dong Sik.”_

That was what In Woo’s man had said on the phone, but it didn’t make any sense. Yook Dong Sik was the copycat killer—he had to be. He had the notebook, all the information necessary to copy In Woo’s crimes. He’d played at murder with In Woo’s brother; he’d had the guts to threaten In Woo himself once or twice. And he’d said to In Woo, when In Woo asked what the copycat killer might be doing, “Oh… maybe he’s trying to attract the attention of the original predator, so they can meet.”

He’d said that even though it seemed he didn’t know the original predator was In Woo, as if he was compelled to admit to the motivation: that he wanted In Woo’s eyes on him, that he wanted In Woo to come to him. Something In Woo could understand, as he himself had been trying to communicate with Yook Dong Sik. It seemed as if they were always at cross-purposes.

Murdering Nam Sung Chul wouldn’t be a bad choice if Yook Dong Sik wanted attention. But letting Nam Sung Chul have a shot at him? And why would Nam Sung Chul try to kill Yook Dong Sik in the first place?

That, and In Woo’s detective had said Nam Sung Chul was the one on the call with the TV station, too. Fuck. It made no sense.

In Woo accelerated.

There were police swarming the area in front of the news station, police and reporters all talking and buzzing about what to do, where to look. In Woo, out of all of them, didn’t have to wonder. His detective had told him where Nam Sung Chul and Yook Dong Sik could be found, in a rooftop parking lot. He actually ran up and slammed the door open to see if things could possibly be as the detective had described.

They were.

Nam Sung Chul stood by the car window, and even from behind, In Woo could see the smugness in his stance. He couldn’t see into the car yet, but he could see the fumes clouding up the windows.

Nam Sung Chul turned to see In Woo. In Woo closed the door behind him and, on consideration, locked it. “Nam Sung Chul,” he said, “I saw your broadcast.”

Nam Sung Chul nodded doubtfully. Fuck. So it really had been him. Despite the clear evidence, In Woo had still been hoping something about this situation would actually make sense.

“You said you wanted to meet the predator killer,” In Woo said. “Well, here I am.” He spread his arms and raised his eyebrows.

“You? Prove it.”

In Woo asked, “How should I prove myself to you? Isn’t that rather arrogant to ask? After all, I already found you this quickly.” He stepped closer. “Is this the murder you’re committing? Let me have a look. You’ve been copying my methods…”

He’d never tried to fake this specific method of suicide though.

Nam Sung Chul, though he still did not seem convinced, let In Woo in close to look at the car. In Woo looked through the window. Yook Dong Sik was in the back seat, buckled in (the buckle appeared to be jammed, which was a clever touch) and collapsed on his side. His lips were slightly parted and his hair was messy.

Harmless. 90% of the time, the man looked harmless.

Had he really just been working with the police to catch In Woo, and now Nam Sung Chul? “Why Yook Dong Sik?” In Woo asked, turning to Nam Sung Chul, who had been babbling something about how he respected In Woo’s methods and how he, too, was secretly a predator. “What happened between you two? What did he say to you?” Was it possible Yook Dong Sik had given Nam Sung Chul orders to help him play the victim? That would be just about Yook Dong Sik’s typical level of manipulation…

Nam Sung Chul’s eyes widened hatefully. “He pitied me. Started crying when I told him about my wife. As if I was the weak and pathetic one!” He spat out the words. Then a smile spread on his face as he met In Woo’s eyes. “And I thought I would do you a favor. He tried to catch you, don’t you know? He saved a witness of one of your crimes, and he’s working with the police. On the news he said you were an idiot. He doesn’t understand.” He waved a hand at the car. “It’s my gift for you.”

In Woo’s lips pressed together.

(Well, at least this idiot seemed to finally believe In Woo was the predator killer.)

Yook Dong Sik, crying? Certainly he had a taste for the theatrical; maybe Nam Sung Chul had been tricked into seeing sympathy where there was none. It was all still a puzzle, but it was starting to come together into a somewhat irritating pattern. So Nam Sung Chul was doing In Woo a favor, hm?

On the other hand, even if Nam Sung Chul didn’t understand why, he’d been right to think Yook Dong Sik would be a good gift. Even an idiot guessed right some of the time.

“If he’s for me,” In Woo said, “you don’t mind if I take his fingerprint, do you? We’ll have to take him out for a moment.”

Nam Sung Chul grinned. “Of course not! Of course you would want his fingerprint. You really are the real deal, aren’t you? Here…” He unlocked the door. Waves of gas rushed out, making In Woo gag for a moment.

He leaned into the car and picked up Yook Dong Sik’s hand. Looked at the thumb. He really could just kill him, of course. Yook Dong Sik was a dangerous wild card. Working with the cops to uncover new evidence, playing chaotic games with In Woo’s brother, holding onto In Woo’s notebook, and worst of all, refusing In Woo’s overtures of friendship…

He was dangerous. Frankly, he was probably a danger to himself, but more importantly, he had personally made himself a danger to In Woo, constantly compounding insult and injury. In Woo had briefly considered they might be friends of a sort, which in retrospect was a laugh. People like them weren’t friends. Not with anyone.

Nam Sung Chul was still talking, asking if he’d done a good job. In Woo held out a hand. “He’s not bleeding. Do you have a knife?”

(He had one in his own coat pocket, but he wanted to know what Nam Sung Chul was carrying.)

“Of course.” Nam Sung Chul offered a switchblade and hovered over In Woo’s back, eager to see him use it.

In Woo flicked the blade open. For a moment he considered the curve of Yook Dong Sik’s neck.

Then he pivoted and shoved Nam Sung Chul down onto the pavement, pressing the knife against his throat.

Nam Sung Chul squealed. “Eh—what are you—we’re friends,” he said, clearly fighting to recover his calm. “What’s wrong? You don’t—you don’t need to be afraid of me. I’ll never betray you.”

“Me? Afraid of you?” In Woo laughed. His grip on the knife tightened. “I’m not afraid of you,” he said calmly, “and I don’t need your help. You think you’re a predator because you killed your own wife. Killing someone that weak, though—how could that even give you a thrill? If you’re a predator, stand against someone strong.” He tilted his head. “Stop me.”

And Nam Sung Chul tried, he really did, but in the end, he couldn’t stop In Woo from slitting his throat.

In Woo watched him choke on his own blood for a little while. Then, forcing himself to be practical, he pried Yook Dong Sik’s seatbelt open and took his limp body out of the car, laying it on the concrete a couple feet from Nam Sung Chul. His pulse was still there and steady enough; his clothes and body smelled like gas. In Woo pressed his face against his fair to inhale for a moment, to appreciate how close Yook Dong Sik had come to death. It was an odd feeling to have saved someone.

Nam Sung Chul was still twitching, trying to speak. In Woo looked back at him and watched as he died, though he kept a hand on Yook Dong Sik’s pulse all along. Nam Sung Chul died and Yook Dong Sik lived, though if In Woo hadn’t intervened it would have been the opposite. This, In Woo thought, was real power—the power to make that division between life and death.

Would Yook Dong Sik feel the same way? Did he feel the same way when he rescued the foreign worker, for example? “If you’re a predator, stand against someone strong.” In Woo had said it, but it felt more like a Yook Dong Sik thing to say. In Woo might usually have said something more like, “Weak people who think they’re strong disgust me.” Well, maybe they both came down to the same thing.

He considered what to do with Yook Dong Sik now. He could still kill him, but he’d already killed Nam Sung Chul and wasn’t really in the mood for it. Honestly he hadn’t been in the mood to kill today in the first place, until he’d heard Nam Sung Chul’s impertinence. This was the second time someone had tried to steal Yook Dong Sik from In Woo—tried to interfere in the relationship between them—and both times, he’d felt the need to kill. Yook Dong Sik made him act a little irrational.

“Properly you should be dead,” he told Yook Dong Sik. “Do you hear me?” But Yook Dong Sik was solidly unconscious still. Still looking so harmless.

In Woo was in no mood to kill him, but he couldn’t leave without taking any advantage of the situation at all. That was a little too benevolent, wasn’t it? It didn’t suit people like him and Yook Dong Sik.

So he did something he’d wanted to do ever since Yook Dong Sik threatened him in an elevator, and pressed his lips to Yook Dong Sik’s in a long, devouring kiss. Yook Dong Sik wouldn’t know he’d been kissed when he woke up, but In Woo would know. He’d always know this taste, this feeling—and, too, know that he’d had Yook Dong Sik at his mercy. He was winning, really, even if Yook Dong Sik had managed to thoroughly infiltrate his head.

This business done, In Woo got to more practical matters. He dragged Yook Dong Sik’s body a little closer to Nam Sung Chul’s, placed the bloody switchblade in his hand, and, after thinking it over for a minute, splattered some blood on his clothes. Then he left.

Yook Dong Sik could make what he wanted of the situation when he woke up. It would be fun to see how he reacted.

* * *

It was on the news all that night: Yook Dong Sik, brave citizen, accosted by the predator killer. Predator killer killed in self defense. In Woo was a little disappointed that Yook Dong Sik hadn’t even tried to hide the body, but it turned out the police had found him and Nam Sung Chul before Yook Dong Sik could regain consciousness. Well, In Woo had known he was taking that risk.

He was impressed, though, that not a single news reporter or policeman interviewed about the incident seemed to doubt that Yook Dong Sik’s supposed murder had been in self defense. Everyone said Yook Dong Sik had been very brave, and it must have been hard for him to break free of the car and overcome the drugs given to him to fight Nam Sung Chul. “He should be dead right now,” they all said.

They weren’t wrong. But really, In Woo was always surprised at how Yook Dong Sik came out of situations looking like a hero. He’d been a victim here (arguably) and In Woo had set him up to look like a perpetrator. But he still looked to the general public like a star.

It made In Woo smile, thinking that he was the only one who saw the real Yook Dong Sik. Yook Dong Sik’s dark side.

When he ran into Yook Dong Sik later, of course, he pretended to be as taken in as everyone else. “Yook Dong Sik, it’s so good to see you alive. And they say you caught the killer.”

Yook Dong Sik’s face did a brief convulsion before settling in a bright smile. “Yes, though I was lucky. He almost killed me. Very dangerous.”

“Ah.” In Woo’s hand twitched with the urge to touch Yook Dong Sik, to feel the pulse that he had saved. He suppressed it. “Yes. So… and this was the real predator killer?”

“Yes, must have been.”

“Oh. So it wasn’t, like I had thought, a copycat.”

“Nope!” Yook Dong Sik was absolutely cheerful about it. “He confessed to all his crimes to me before dying. He was definitely the real predator killer.”

In Woo, who had heard Nam Sung Chul monologue, doubted he would have told that sort of lie to a victim. He smiled. So Yook Dong Sik had decided to let the predator case rest, at least publicly. He must have figured out who it was who rescued him, and decided—whether out of gratitude or fear—that his and In Woo’s business was private.

That was for the best.

“Well, it’s good to know we’re all a bit safer,” In Woo said, as he imagined an ant might say in a situation like this. “I hope you’ll keep up the good work.” Actually, he sort of hoped Yook Dong Sik would keep looking for him. As long as the police didn’t get involved, it wasn’t a bad game.

Sooner or later they would both see each other for what they were; Yook Dong Sik would see In Woo to be a predator just as he was, and In Woo would figure out what was going on in Yook Dong Sik’s head. Then… then…

Even Yook Dong Sik hadn’t been able to articulate what should happen when two predators met. Maybe the only option would be for one to kill the other. But even then, In Woo couldn’t imagine killing Yook Dong Sik would feel like killing Nam Sung Chul. That was why he hadn’t wanted to do it quickly or rashly, or let Nam Sung Chul do it for him. Whatever his and Yook Dong Sik’s ending was going to be, he needed it to be orchestrated perfectly, and with no outside interference.

**Author's Note:**

> So I slowly progress through the series. Look, I absolutely thought they were setting up for a serial killer rescue scene! Lols, but I was satisfied with the actual episode too. Just... three supposed predator killers on one roof would have been peak drama.


End file.
